Life on Great Britain’s outer islands is not always easy – but that has not stopped people making them their homes.

An Ordnance Survey (OS) analysis of the 82 islands that measure more than 5 sq km (2 sq miles) off the coast of Great Britain shows they are home to almost 300,000 residential addresses – around 1% of the British total.

Lying off the coast of Northumberland, Lindisfarne – also known as Holy Island thanks to its rich Celtic Christian history – is one of them.

“I’m 74 years old and I’ve lived here all my life,” Mr Patterson tells the BBC. “I wouldn’t swap it for anything.”

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The Isle of Skye is home to 5,977 residential addresses and attracts thousands of tourists every year

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Muckle Roe, part of the Shetland Islands, is famous for its red cliffs and beaches

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Highland cattle on the Isle of Mull

He admits, however, that life is not always simple.

A causeway connects the island to the British mainland, but the changing tide makes it impassable depending on the time.

“To do anything we have to go by the tide times,” says Mr Patterson. “If you need to make an appointment or go shopping, you consult the tide times.”

“We were blocked off in February for five days,” he adds. “Snow and ice covered the causeway and no one could get off. That’s only happened twice in my lifetime.”

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Skye has more than 10,000 residents – but only one secondary school

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The South Stack lighthouse on the Anglesey coast

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Atlantic Puffins on Unst, the northernmost island in Great Britain

OS has focused its research on Great Britain’s islands, meaning the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland’s islands are not included – but the 82 listed still consist of more than 11,000 sq km of land.

Seventy-one of the islands – many making up the Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney – are off the coast of Scotland, while only two are off the coast of Wales.

Portsea Island – which includes part of the city of Portsmouth – is the most inhabited, with 74,645 residential addresses.

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